Vision Loss Affects Health
Most of those served by the Wisconsin Office for the Blind and Visually
Impaired are older adults for whom vision loss occurs in the context of
other age-related experiences, including changes in health, stamina, and
resilience. Vision loss often occurs during a time of other losses, such
as the loss of a spouse, a job, or friends.
People with vision loss are also more likely than those without it to
report chronic diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease,
and generally poorer health. However, vision loss also affects health in
more subtle ways. People with vision loss who do not walk regularly may,
because of lack of exercise, be more likely to experience arthritis,
hypertension, and heart disease. Lack of conditioning may contribute to a
fear of falling and to fall related injuries. Indeed, the data shows that
people with vision loss are more likely to report falls and broken hips.
All of these factors place those with vision impairment at greater risk
for declining health and potential institutionalization.
These circumstances are fairly complex and require multiple
interventions to preserve the independence, dignity, and quality of life
of people who have lost vision. Rehabilitation services are the
cornerstone of those interventions. Vision rehabilitation can address and
sometimes ameliorate co-occurring health conditions. For example,
orientation and mobility training can improve the travel skills of people
with vision impairments. The more comfortable people are as travelers, the
more likely they are to exercise by walking safely and confidently in
their neighborhoods. Exercise associated with walking has the potential to
address hypertension, arthritis, and heart disease. People conditioned by
walking are better able to recover from falls and may have a reduced fear
of falling.
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Last Revised: October 24, 2008
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